US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with French, Saudi, Egyptian and Qatari foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday.
In his call with Egyptan Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry, Mr Blinken "reiterated his call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children".
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the ministers agreed on "the importance of working to reach an immediate ceasefire between the two sides, and they also agreed to continue co-ordination in the bilateral framework, as well as in regional and international ones, regarding what is in the interest of the Palestinian people and reaching a ceasefire".
Mr Blinken also had a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the latest developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.
They discussed "the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end".
Mr Blinken also spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian about the ongoing violence, the State Department said
Mr Blinken and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani spoke about "efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life", the State Department said.
The officials discussed "the recent Israeli attacks on worshippers at the Al Aqsa compound and the attack on the besieged Gaza Strip", the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.
Meanwhile, a group of US senators on Sunday called for a ceasefire.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Todd Young, the senior members of a foreign relations panel, said in a statement: "As a result of Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response, both sides must recognise that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further."
Twenty-five other Democratic US senators and two independents issued a separate, similar statement.
-
Rescuers pull a girl from the rubble at the site of Israeli air strikes in Gaza City. Reuters -
The building that was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on May 16, which housed The Associated Press and other media outlets in Gaza City. AP -
Palestinians mourn deceased relatives, at the site of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City. Reuters -
A Palestinian girl cries as she looks out from her home's window at destroyed neighbouring buildings in a residential area of Gaza City, following Israeli air strikes. AFP -
A man and woman cry outside their home after it was destroyed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza City. AFP -
Israeli tanks stationed along the border with the Gaza Strip. AFP -
Israeli soldiers fire a 155mm Howitzer towards the Gaza Strip from their position along the border with the Palestinian enclave. AFP -
Palestinians carry a survivor from under the rubble of a building, after it was struck by Israeli strikes, in Gaza City. AFP -
People look at the scene where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit in Ramat Gan, Israel. Getty -
Palestinian children injured during Israeli air strikes on Gaza City are treated at Al Shifa hospital. AFP -
Excavators work to clear the rubble at the site of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem -
Firefighters move families from a building whose entrance was blocked by rubble after Israeli air strikes on Gaza City. AFP -
A Palestinian man watches as firefighters search for survivors and bodies under the rubble after Israeli air strikes on Gaza City. AFP -
A man watches as a firefighter drives a bulldozer to clear rubble and search for survivors and bodies after the bombing of Gaza City. AFP -
Palestinian firefighters search for survivors and bodies under the rubble. AFP -
Men watch as rescuers search for survivors and bodies in Gaza City. AFP -
Firefighters race against time to find survivors. AFP -
A policeman stands on rubble from a building that housed the office of the Associated Press and other media organisations in Gaza City, which was destroyed by Israeli air strikes. AP -
Palestinians gather around a car that burned after being hit by an Israeli missile in Gaza City. AFP -
Israeli forces' flares light up the sky in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
Sheikh Mohammed also spoke by phone with Mr Shukry, where they reviewed "bilateral co-operation relations and developments in Palestine," the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.
